PANTOMIME SEASON BEGINS...
I think it was the late Brian Sewell who said something to the effect that you always know when the pantomime season begins when the Turner Prize turns up. And last night the £25,000 prize for 2018 went to one Charlotte Prodger with her entry which comprised a pretty gimpy film shot on her mobile phone.
Now I know it`s supposed to be all about `exploring new innovations in the visual arts` - that kind of thing - but once again the reputation of visual art has been invaded by yet more meaningless nonsense. Given that the award is supposed to honour the name of JMW Turner I`m sure that, now as an annual ritual, he is once again turning in his grave.
Now, Turner was himself supposed to have been controversial in his time but at least he produced pictures that people could recognise and admire. These days it seems the whole idea of what constitutes visual art is reduced to parody, to farce and, yes, to pantomime. Kim Howells got it right when, as Culture Minister in 2002, he pinned this message on a board specially designated for visitors` comments:-
"If this is the best British artists can produce then British art is lost. It is cold, mechanical, conceptual bullshit." PS : "The attempts at conceptualisation are particularly pathetic and symptomatic of a lack of conviction."
Anyway, just to remind us of the heights to which visual art should, even today, aspire, have a look at this and be thankful that Jan van Eyck didn`t have a mobile phone:-
Now I know it`s supposed to be all about `exploring new innovations in the visual arts` - that kind of thing - but once again the reputation of visual art has been invaded by yet more meaningless nonsense. Given that the award is supposed to honour the name of JMW Turner I`m sure that, now as an annual ritual, he is once again turning in his grave.
Now, Turner was himself supposed to have been controversial in his time but at least he produced pictures that people could recognise and admire. These days it seems the whole idea of what constitutes visual art is reduced to parody, to farce and, yes, to pantomime. Kim Howells got it right when, as Culture Minister in 2002, he pinned this message on a board specially designated for visitors` comments:-
"If this is the best British artists can produce then British art is lost. It is cold, mechanical, conceptual bullshit." PS : "The attempts at conceptualisation are particularly pathetic and symptomatic of a lack of conviction."
Anyway, just to remind us of the heights to which visual art should, even today, aspire, have a look at this and be thankful that Jan van Eyck didn`t have a mobile phone:-
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